musings and stories by a wife, mom, teacher

Celebrating my lil’ Bro

33 years ago, when I was 4 1/2, our family grew with the birth of my little brother. Of course, I wanted a sister, not a brother. (Which might explain why I dressed him up in my dresses while he was small enough for me to be the boss of him.) When he was born, I was excited to meet him. I remember my dad taking me to visit the baby and my mom. We bought him a baseball teddy bear from the gift shop at the hospital. We got to the room, and my dad got yelled at by the nurses because my mom was really sick and I wasn’t supposed to be in her room. Then, to top it all off, later that night, I broke out with chicken pox and got quarantined to my grandma’s house until they were gone. My excitement turned to resentment. I blamed him for the chicken pox – of course it was the newborn’s fault! I thought he was stealing my mommy from me! We did not hit it off at first! There are pictures of him laying on a blanket, and I’m in the background with a grumpy face, giving the new baby dirty looks. Not really the kindest of big sisters!

Now…..

I look back on that earliest memory and laugh a little. Little kids can easily misconstrue a situation. 33 years later and he’s no longer the “annoying” little brother who stole my mom from me. Over the years, we’ve been through a lot together. I grew to become his protector in many instances (even if he doesn’t want me too). When I went away to college, it was so hard to leave him. Who was going to protect him and look after him when I wasn’t there? And then, losing my dad 11 years ago was horrific for us, but in a way, it brought him and I closer together and I really saw what an amazing man he was (and still is). You see, my dad passed away in March 2016, and my wedding was planned for July 2016. We were all in shock – grieving and I was ready to postpone the wedding. But, my little brother, the now man of the house, stepped up and said “I’ll walk you down the aisle and give you away” – he was just 22 years old. I sometimes forget how young he was when we lost Dad and that he had to grow up so fast. We may not always see eye to eye or tell each other our feelings, but I respect him, love him unconditionally, and am so proud of the man he’s become. He is an incredible man, a wonderful brother, a fantastic uncle, and so much more. He’s so much like our dad – it’s amazing to see. I now call him for advice or directions! He’s no longer just my brother; he’s my friend, my Bubba. I thank God for him every day.

I may not have been thrilled about him 33 years ago, but I’d be lost without him today!

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